Veterans, active duty service members, and their families and friends are invited for a day of information on veterans' benefits, services, and VA health care.

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Human Resources Specialists Sally Klingelhutz, center, and Brian Watt assist a soldier from the 1430th Engineering Company in Kingsford at the medical center's Welcome Home event in 2012.

VA personnel, Veteran Service Officers, and the VA Mobile Veteran Center will be available to discuss and answer questions related to veterans' benefits and health care to include women's health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), other behavioral health issues, education, home loans, and federal employment opportunities to name a few.

Veterans will also receive assistance in enrolling for VA health care.

"We are pleased to welcome home our area combat Veterans and help them reintegrate into their communities and civilian life," said Kathy Truax, OEF/OIF/OND Program Manager at the VA Medical Center.

"It is also a great opportunity for all Veterans and their families in the area to come and check out what the VA has to offer," said Truax.

Service Officers from different veterans organizations and Dickinson County will be there.

"It provides us another opportunity for service officers like me to reach out to our Veterans on the compensation and pension benefits and the changes to those benefits." said Chuck Lantz, Director of the Office of Veteran Affairs Serving Dickinson County.

"The veterans often are not always briefed upon discharge of all the VA benefits and entitlements, so it is our job as service officers to reach out to those veterans," said Lantz.

Questions regarding the Welcome Home fair may be directed to Kathy Truax at (906) 774-3300, extension 32708.

As part of the event, Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center, will be hosting the Kingsford-based Army National Guard 1432nd Engineering Company from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day this weekend.

The 1432nd recently returned from Afghanistan this last March.

"In order to enhance delivery of health care to these soldiers, we are providing medical appointments on their drill weekend to establish care within the VA health care system and to receive presentations on such things as PTSD and promoting a healthy lifestyle," said Brad Nelson, Public Affairs Officer for the medical center.

Nelson said this will alleviate soldiers from having to take time off from work or school to make it to a VA medical appointment. Medical and administrative staffs are volunteering to make this happen on a weekend.

This event is being held in conjunction with the medical center's "Welcome Home" VA health and benefits fair. This fair is open to all veterans and will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

It is designed to provide information on a wide range of VA benefits and allow veterans to check out what VA has to offer.